The Dangers Of The Unknown
by Mrs. Seamus Finnigan
Summary: HIATUS! After defeating Maleficent, life at Auradon Prep is back to normal; or as close as it can get with Ben and Mal dating and everyone intermingling. But one morning, Mal wakes up to find that Evie is gone. The only idea anyone has of where she could be is kidnapped by her own mother to prove that she is the "baddest of them all". Rated T just in case. [Ben, Mal] [Doug, Evie]
1. Where's Evie

**Hey, so I'm sorry this first chapter is so short. I liked where it left off at. For anyone out there who was worried, I did include the ships in the summary. ;-)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's Descendants. ;-)**

Mal suddenly stopped thrashing in her sleep. She woke up abruptly, thinking happily of Ben but feeling like something was wrong. Sitting up, she looked around the room. Evie was gone; she had left the blasted window open. Mal rolled her eyes and smiled; she probably had gone out to see Doug in the middle of the night. You would never catch Mal sneaking out to see Ben, even if she had, but Evie was incredibly likely to do something so silly. So Mal got out of bed and shut the window without locking it. Evie would need to get back in later and they were like sisters now, Mal wouldn't be cruel and lock her out. Then she got back in bed and thought of Ben to avoid any more nightmares.

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Mal woke up again. This time, her alarm woke her up. She had to get ready for school; Ben was going to meet her for breakfast again this morning before they had to get to school. She glanced over at Evie's bed and frowned. So Evie hadn't come back yet. She wouldn't be able to help Mal get ready. _Oh well,_ Mal thought, _I can do it without her_. She picked out some clothes, made an attempt at putting on makeup and left the room.

Ben was waiting right outside. Mal jumped and he laughed at her shock. She gave him a look waving a worn out book her mother had given her, before she left the island, in his face.

"Oh no," Ben laughed, "You're really going to spell me."

"Don't test me," Mal teased him back, "I did give you a love potion. You never know what I'm capable of."

"Yeah right," Ben offered her his arm

"Don't test me, Benjamin Florian," Mal replied, "I may decide to prove you wrong."

"Are you ready for breakfast?" He asked, leading them towards the dining hall

"I'm ready if you are, Your Majesty," Mal smiled up at him

"What do you think you'll want this morning?"

"I-" Mal noticed Doug across the room, sitting alone, "Doug, where's Evie?"

"What are you talking about, Mal?" Doug laughed, "You share a room with her."

"But she left to see you last night," Mal furrowed her brow, "You two had something planned, I thought."

"No," Doug shook his head, "Did she tell you that?"

"No," Mal shook her head, "I woke up again last night. It felt like something was wrong and I noticed the window was open. I saw she wasn't in her bed and assumed she had gone to see you. It seemed like something she would do."

"I haven't seen her since you guys went to bed," Doug admitted

"Weird," Mal shook her head again

"What's up, guys?" Carlos sat down next to Doug

"Evie's missing," Doug declared

"What?" Jay had followed Carlos and was standing directly behind him

"I haven't seen Evie since we went to bed last night, Jay," Mal told him

"She probably went to see Doug," The muscular tourney player shrugged his shoulders

"I haven't seen her," Doug shook his head, turning pale

Mal scanned the open area around them. Lonnie was with Jane; Audrey was flirting with Chad, Mal laughed quietly to herself when Jay tensed up at that. Ariana was wheeling herself to a table. Merlin, Merida's son, was padding along softly behind the mer-princess. Paul sat on a tree branch, a book in one hand and an apple in the other. Jasper was jogging outside, his father's pet monkey trying to keep up with him. No Evie. Something was seriously wrong.

"What's the date?" Jay asked, staring off into the distance

"The first," Ben interlocked his fingers with Mal's, "Why?"

"What month is it, Mal?" Jay raised an eyebrow at her while Carlos dropped his cup

"I can't believe I forgot!" Mal exclaimed

"Neither can I, honestly," Carlos muttered

"Shut up," Mal replied off-handedly, "They must've gotten off the island. My mother did it so-"

"What is going on?" Doug interrupted, "What's so important about May Day?"

"Nothing," Mal rolled her eyes and Ben deflated ever so slightly, "Two Fridays from today is the thirteenth."

"Okay," Doug's knuckles were white from gripping the table, "What so important about Friday the thirteenth?"

"We are the children of villains," Jay pinched the bridge of his nose, "Why would the most unlucky day of the year be so important?"

"Oh," Doug went limp, "How do you celebrate?"

"Ever heard of the expression, 'Fairest of them all'?" Mal questioned

"Definitely," Doug nodded solemnly

"Well," Mal squeezed Ben's hand, "On the island we had an expression, 'baddest of them all'. And we took it very literally. Every year on Friday the thirteenth we had a competition. It was run by the villains and we were their champions, the competitors. Our parents were allowed ten days to retrain us before the event. This year, Friday the thirteenth is in May."

"So," Doug took a slow breath, "The Evil Queen kidnapped her own daughter?"

"I think so," Mal answered grimly, "She probably knows my mother isn't coming back and thinks she might actually have a chance at winning."

"I wish I was taught to sword fight," Doug bit his lip, "I swear-"

"This is not the time to lose our temper, Doug," Ben rested his free hand on his friend's shoulder, "You've got to hold it together for Evie. We don't even know for sure if she is- if she has been… kidnapped."

"Right," Doug stood up, "I've got to go cool off. See you later."

"See you," Ben nodded

The four of them remained frozen in place. Anxiety ran through all of them in that moment, in different ways. Ben was concerned that Mal might be taken too. Mal was afraid of what might happen to Evie. Jay was worried that the rest of them might disappear too. Carlos was thinking about who would take care of Dude if he went missing. Despite the strangeness of his concerns, the latter was completely serious.


	2. Ben's Surprise: Part One

**Okay, so initially I was going to have this as one chapter but then it turned into four pages and counting. I didn't want the chapter to be too long so it has been split into two. I hope you enjoy my earliness. I got excited.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's** **Descendants** **. Surprise!**

"Where are you taking me?" Mal looked over at Ben skeptically

"Somewhere," Ben laughed, handing her a helmet

"Way to be specific," Mal rolled her eyes and put the helmet on, "You're going to give me helmet hair."

"Yes," Ben snorted, "And you definitely care."

"Evie-" Mal shook her head, "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

"We're going to get her back, Mal," Ben helped her onto the moped, "I promise."

"And Benjamin Florian always keeps his promises?" Mal glanced up at him

"I promise," Ben replied, a smile ghosting his lips

"Good," Mal nodded, "Or I may have to hex you."

Ben laughed.

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Ben pulled over by the entrance to the bridge. Memories flashed through his head of him spending time with Mal. Singing to Mal under the influence of the love spell. Taking her to the Enchanted Lake. Asking her if she loved him. Promising to show her what love felt like. Giving her his ring. So many memories of her in such a short amount of time. He couldn't believe how far they had come. She was no longer afraid of her mother, which literally made her fearless, despite what she said otherwise.

He had a feeling that the two of them were going to get somewhere. Ben knew that if he wanted to be with Mal the rest of his life, which he was pretty sure he did, they would go through lots of trials. After all, she was still Maleficent's daughter and he was still the Beast's son and the king. It would take a lot of fighting with his own people to make her his queen. But of course, Mal wouldn't want to talk about it. If it was important, Mal was afraid to talk about it.

He had to forgive her for it though. He was king and he loved her, flaws were something he was forced to get past, even if they were infuriating.

"What are we doing here?" Mal sitting up and removing her head from his shoulders

"Well," Ben grinned slightly, "I'm glad I didn't accidentally ruin the surprise for you."

"What are you going on about, Benjamin?" Mal got off the moped

"It's the first of May, Mal," Ben smiled cheekily, "Wouldn't you like to celebrate?"

"Okay…" Mal stared at him, "Why would you celebrate the first of May? It's just a day, in the month of May."

"May Day?"

"What?" Mal continued to stare at him

"It's a couple's holiday," Ben began to fidget under her gaze, "To celebrate girls and women dance around a pole, wrapping it in ribbons as they do. The teenagers and young adults wander off into the woods to dance and party. Here at Auradon, some of us try to celebrate it with all revelry."

"Interesting," Mal furrowed her brows thoughtfully, "What other things are important?"

"Everyone wears lightly colored, loose, linen clothing," Ben replied

"I'm not wearing linen," Mal pointed out

"Nor is your clothing what anyone would call loose," Ben's smile grew wider

"Shut up," Mal smacked his shoulder

"Anyway," Ben kept going, "I brought you some clothes for the evening and some of the girls will help you get ready. We put up some tents for privacy. The actual celebration doesn't start for a little bit. I was hoping to walk you to the girls tent and then met you at the party later."

"Okay," Mal replied, "Take me to my tent, my king."

"Ha ha," Ben rolled his eyes happily at the playful comment, "Let's go."

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Mal stepped into the tent, mildly concerned about what was going on. She was afraid someone would laugh her back to the school. No one did though. There were a handful of girls there. She at least knew of all of them. Lonnie, Jane and Audrey smiled at her kindly. Ariana was in the corner by a mirror, brushing her hair. Jasper's younger sister, Dina, stood by, Rajah perched regally next to her. They all were smiling at her, all of them. It was disarming to see so many faces grinning at her.

"Ben gave me your clothes, Mal," Audrey was grinning mischievously, "But I think he'll enjoy what I picked out more."

"For the sake of all things evil, what do you plan on doing to me?" Mal watched them warily, the only one she had let do anything like this was Evie

At that last thought, Mal sat down on the ground roughly. Lonnie frowned and sighing, she walked over to her. Jane did the same, but she sat down, taking Mal's hand. Dina stood back uncomfortably. Audrey squeezed her shoulder and Ariana started to wheel herself over.

"I'm fine," Mal shook her head, "You all just reminded me of her. That's all. No big deal."

"Don't worry about being strong for us," Audrey winked at her, "We may had a rocky start but we want you to be yourself around us. And definitely don't worry about Ben. If you can't handle a party right now, he'll understand. If he doesn't, he and I will be sharing some words, none of which would be friendly or kind."

"Thanks," Mal replied awkwardly

"Come on," Lonnie stood up and offered Mal her hand

"Alright," Mal took her hand, "I can do this. It's fun. I need to live a little, right? The island kept me from doing that."

"That's the spirit," Ariana laughed

"Perfect," Mal grinned back at her hesitantly, "I might need your help to keep up the front."

"I hope not," Jane teased, "Ben's kind of hot. And his ego isn't… well- he doesn't really have one. You're the only one who can remind of that."

"Stay away from my boyfriend, fairy-in-training," Mal replied lightheartedly, "I may have to get you in your sleep for that."

"Like any of could steal Ben out from under you," Dina chuckled, "The poor guy is head-over-heals for you."

"Really?" Mal genuinely looked shocked

"You don't see it?" Audrey stared at her, "I wouldn't be surprised if he asked you to be his queen."

"Whoa," Mal's eyes widened, "I didn't realize- I mean I didn't think- I-"

"Relax, Mal," Lonnie grinned, "None of us are jealous… Okay maybe a little bit because Jane is right, Ben is definitely hot. Not _my_ type, but certainly still hot. And it's okay, we didn't really expect you to notice, well except Audrey. Somebody is hyper-aware of everyone who's interested in them."

"Hey!" Audrey exclaimed, "If you were the future queen of a kingdom you would understand."

"I'm not in the least bit upset about that," Lonnie laughed, "No princess class for me. No real worry about dishonoring the family with my choices."

"Yeah," Audrey sighed

"I'm sorry," Mal cautiously reached out a hand to her

"It's okay," Audrey smiled softly, "I wasn't meant for that world."

"Don't remind me," Mal whispered

"Please," Audrey rolled her eyes, grinning again, "Like you weren't meant to rule the world."

"I didn't think it would actually happen," Mal replied, "At least not like this."

"I'm glad it happened the way it did," Audrey shrugged, "I don't have to marry Mr. Oblivious, like you probably will."

"That's my boyfriend you're talking about," Mal nudged her, "I'd watch where I stepped if I was you."

"I think I like my chances," Audrey nudged her back

"Why don't we get ready before the guys start to wonder where we are," Jane interrupted, "Carlos is coming, right?"

"Don't look at me," Mal answered, "I didn't know this was happening. And don't think we won't be talking about your crush later."

Jane squeaked and the other girls giggled. Everything was right in the world, except for one fact they would worry about later.


	3. Ben's Surprise: Part Two

**Okay, so I have two things to apologize for: the late update and the shortness of the chapter. I kinda had to rush the last bit of the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Disney's Descendants. Duh. ;-)**

Ben was pacing several feet away from the girl's tent. He was anxious to see if Mal liked what he had brought for her to wear. He wanted to make sure she had a good time. He hoped she-

"Ben," Jay shouted at him, "Come here and help us with this."

"Okay," Ben replied robotically

"And stop worrying," Jasper laughed, "Mal's going to have a great time."

"I'm just nervous," Ben admitted

"Don't be," Carlos stopped throwing a stick for Dude, "Mal loves you. She just doesn't know it. She doesn't understand what it feels like."

"You're sure?" Ben stared off in the direction of the girl's tent, giggles came suddenly from the place the girl's were using

"Definitely," Carlos nodded, smiling

"Are you boys talking about us again?" Audrey and Mal had their arms around each other's waists

"What in my father's name happened with you two?" Jay stared at them

Ben was speechless. He had not picked that dress out. It was shorter than the one he remembered having made. It also was a light lavender. He had chosen a light blue one. And the top was- he pulled at his already loose collar- tighter. Mal's long legs were on display and so were… other things. Fairy godmother help him. She was gorgeous and hot, incredibly hot.

"Breathe," Paul whispered from the tree above him

"Thanks," Ben responded just as softly

"Hi," Mal spoke up from next to him, "I'm not from here. Would you like to show me around?"

"Yeah," He breathed, "I'll have to ask for your name, beautiful."

"Mal," She looked at the ground, then up at him, "It's Mal."

"It's nice to meet you, Mal," He put his arm around her slowly, "I'm Ben."

"Did you mean that?" Mal bit her lip and stared at him from under lightly made-up lashes

"Mean what?" Ben struggled not to kiss her right then and there

"Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Mal looked down, rubbing the ground with her bare feet

"Definitely," Ben nodded, pulling her to him, "I don't know how anyone couldn't."

She hid her face in his chest and mumbled something.

"What was that?" Ben chuckled, finally able to catch his breath now that she wasn't looking at him

"Nothing," She shook her head, not moving otherwise

"Okay," He sighed

Finally she could look in his eyes once again. The green of them was intense with something she couldn't define but recognized as something she always saw in him. His tourney-hardened body was defined by the loose, white linen shirt he wore. His pants were a light blue color that matched his family crest. She almost laughed at that. Altogether, his new appearance made her want to look away. He was like the sun, shining brightly, happily, obliviously. She was like the moon, only a reflection, full of holes. She could never be like him. She couldn't be like any of them, willing to forget the past. Her mother was her daily reminder of that. She couldn't look at the glass box by her bed and not remember what she used to be like, what she could become again.

But Ben didn't care. He didn't care about any of that. He knew what she had done. Soon after her mother was… defeated, for lack of a better word, she told him everything. She had thought he would've left, but he didn't.

" _I want to tell you something," Mal shuffled from foot to foot_

" _Okay," Ben gave her a comforting look_

" _Please don't do that," She looked away from him_

" _Don't do what?" He stared at her, confused_

" _Look at me like that," Mal waved her hand at his face, "I don't deserve it."_

" _Of course you do,"_

" _No, Ben, I don't," Mal closed her eyes, "I gave you a love potion. I plotted with my mother to take over your kingdom. I broke into a museum."_

" _Eh," Ben shrugged his shoulders teasingly, "Who hasn't broken into a museum at some point in their life?"_

" _I'm serious, Ben," Mal choked out a sob, "Get back together with Audrey. I'm not good for you."_

" _That's a lie," Ben shook his head, hugging her, "In fact, I think you're the best thing that could've ever happened to me. Without you, I wouldn't realize when I'm being too enthusiastic." Mal laugh-sobbed at the memory, "Without you, I never would've been in a relationship that makes me happy. Without you, I wouldn't have confidence in my abilities. Without you, I couldn't be a good king. Without you-"_

" _I get it, Ben," Mal smiled up at him, "Thank you."_

As she watched him, he laughed; he talked; he joked. He was so beautiful and he didn't even know it. He was friendly and he didn't see it. He was good and he didn't know it. He loved her. Isle of the Lost, he loved her. How she hadn't seen it, she didn't know. Why she hadn't believed him, she didn't know. And she still could not define how she felt about him. She assumed she would act like he had at the threat of her mother attacking her had someone threatened him. She wanted to stay with him forever, or at least she thought she did. If he spent time with other girls she would be hurt. Putting all of that into one feeling that felt descriptive enough to her was impossible.

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Ben watched as Mal led him into the forest. She was talking but he wasn't paying attention to her words. She was indescribably... beautiful. Her purple hair bounced as she walked ahead of him. She turned around to look at him with her green eyes. Her figure was on the edge of his mind, seeing as he was, in fact, a guy and it was a nice figure, but it wasn't the most important thing in the world. What he loved most was her smile. It could be genuinely happy; it could be tearful; it could be forced. No matter how she smiled, it always caught him off guard. He had never imagined that he would have the girl of his dreams, let alone that she could be so beautiful when she smiled. He'd never imagined that anyone could smile that beautifully. It was magnificent. As he was thinking, she stopped again and turned around to face him. The look on her face was so very startling.

She kissed him. Not on the cheek, like she had before, but on the lips. Initially, he stood there, frozen in shock, but eventually he reciprocated, kissing her back with fervor. The experience was different than he had expected. It was uniquely beautiful, just like her, the one kissing him. Like most girls were known to have hoped for, it was sunshine and rainbows, hallelujahs and halos. It was amazing. He wanted to do it again. He grabbed her hand with one of his and caressed her face with the other. Her eyes smiled shyly up at him.

"Mal Bertha," Ben breathed, "You clearly have no idea just how beautiful you are. Not just because you kissed me, although that helps," He grinned at her, "But because you are a beautiful person, inside and out."

"You've got a way with words, Benjamin Florian," Mal's eyes sparkled teasingly

"It runs in the family," He tapped her nose with one finger

"You bet it does," She taunted, "Your father is quite the word-weaver."

"Oh, shush," Ben moved his finger to her lips

Mal raised an eyebrow at him, pursing her lips against his finger. Ben's breath came harshly. Mal slipped out of his grasp and held up a hand. Ben was frozen in place as she ran off, grinning like a wildcat.

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Mal bit her lip, much farther from Ben than she had been before. Thousands of thoughts rushed frantically through her head all at once. She had never done something so rash, so brazen. The whole… thing had taken her off guard. None of what had happened had been like her at all. She didn't express herself openly as most others she knew did. Did she really lo- Did she really love Ben?

A noise came from behind her, causing her to pause momentarily before taking off at a full sprint, not wanting Ben to be able to catch up. What Mal didn't know was that Ben was not the one chasing her. It was someone as of yet unknown to any of the students at Auradon, save one. Mal was unable to escape the mysterious, new villain, and was stolen off into the night-darkened forest.

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Ben stopped in his tracks; he hadn't heard any movement from where Mal had run off to in awhile. She must have stopped somewhere.

"Mal!" He called, "Mal! Where'd you go? Mal?"


	4. Between The Past and Disaster

**Hey! I'm on time! It's a miracle! Ha ha. :-) Anyway, here's the new chapter. Thanks for the reviews, folks. It really does brighten my day! Also check out my other stories, especially you Harry Potter fans.**

 **Disclaimer: I still do not own Disney's Descendants**

He couldn't find her. Mal had disappeared into the forest. Everyone else was sitting around a campfire, staring sullenly and guiltily into the flames. However, he was pacing. He couldn't remember who but he had sent someone to find Doug due to the fact that a second disappearing could not be coincidental.

"Ben," Jasper looked up at the frantic prince hovering over all of them, "Stop pacing. You're only worrying yourself more than you already are."

"I can't help it," He replied, "I'm a pri- I'm a king; it's what we do."

"Then sit down," Paul harrumphed

"Right," Ben nodded and sat down, "I can do that."

He bounced his leg as he sat and Paul shook his head.

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"What happened?" Doug asked as he finally came across the dismayed group sitting around the fire

"Mal's missing," Ben rasped; he was in desperate need of a cry, but kings did not cry in public for the sake of being strong

"WHAT?!" Doug had been about to sit down, but at Ben's declaration he jumped back up, "SHE'S MISSING TOO?! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!"

"Doug," Paul whispered softly, "You need to calm down. Ben's gonna lose it if you keep going off the handle. Give the guy some sense of control."

"RI-" Doug glanced over at Ben and cleared his throat, "Right. So what are we going to do?"

Everyone looked over at Ben. Jay slung an arm around the young king's shoulders. Carlos did the same for Doug. Jasper held Dina's hand. Audrey, Jane and Lonnie hugged one another. Ben watched the people with him. They needed him. Mal needed him. Despite his potential loss, he was still needed and he had to keep himself in check.

"We will send a search party," He declared, "The k- I mean, my best men will look for Mal and Evie immediately."

"What if they don't find them?" Doug asked, "I can't wait too long before I go after her myself."

"We will address that hurdle when we come across it."

"For Mal and Evie?" Carlos suggested

"For Mal and Evie." Ben repeated with a nod

"For Mal and Evie!" Everyone's fists went into the air

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"It's been a week, Ben," Doug pointed out from his spot as the king's advisor

Much had changed since the day Mal had disappeared. Ben had begun to finally appoint people to specific posts in his court. Doug was now his Advisor. Jay was his Captain of the Guard. Carlos was the Keeper of the Kennels. Jasper was Ben's second Advisor and Paul was Jay's second-in-command. Audrey was still princess of her own domain. Lonnie was becoming a general in her home kingdom. Jane was going to be Mal's lady-in-waiting when Mal was queen.

"What do you suggest then, Doug?" Ben turned to face him

"I suggest we go look for the girls ourselves," Doug's face was completely devoid of any sarcasm or humor

"Which of us would you suggest, should we in fact send someone else?" Ben wove his words carefully

"I, of course would go, Jay and Carlos," Doug looked thoughtful, "The three of us would venture to the Isle. Paul would remain in charge temporarily alongside Jasper. I don't suppose you'll go hunting while we are gone so you wouldn't need Carlos to take care of the royal hounds. Plus Jay and Carlos both know the Isle well enough to guide and protect the three of us."

"Why you?" Ben interrupted

"Because, like you, I cannot stand to sit and do nothing while the girl I love is held captive in the place of her childhood," Doug stared at Ben unwaveringly, "Because, unlike you, I am replaceable. And because I am not needed here."

"Alright," Ben nodded, "You three will go into the Isle and search for Mal and Evie. I will stay behind with the rest of us."

"Thank you, my liege," Doug breathed out a sigh of relief

"Please don't call me that," Ben pinched the bridge of his nose

"Right, sorry, Ben," Doug smiled slightly

"It's fine," Ben waved his hand at him, "Go save our princesses."

Doug smiled at him again and hurried out of the room.

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Mal slowly opened her eyes to the now familiar surroundings. She lay in the same bed she had woken up in that first night. The walls all around her were stone. Farther away from her, a place for training had been set up. The woman with the vibrant red hair had forced Mal to train everyday since she had arrived. It was worse than everything Maleficent had ever put her through to train for the competition previously. She practiced her magic; she did acrobatics; she worked on her strength. The woman who had had her kidnapped was brutal.

"Ah," The woman came into the room and smiled cruelly, "You're awake. Good, very good. Are you ready to begin?"

"No," Mal muttered absent-mindedly then winced at the look on the woman's face

"Unfortunately," The woman's smile grew wider, "You really have no choice, now do you?"

Mal held in her tears and shook her head. Training began once again.

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Doug rubbed tiredly at his eyes. The three of them had ridden for the entire span of daylight that had been left in the day. Once Ben had declared they would go, Doug had run off to find the other two and pack. With the three of them working together, they had been able to leave relatively early in the afternoon, not even stopping once to eat.

He was determined to find the girls as soon as possible. He didn't want them to face much torment. What were they even doing right then? What were they facing? He couldn't bear to think of what they were being forced into.

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Evie cried under the covers of her bed. Were they coming for her? It was then that her mother walked in and peeled the covers away from her face. Evie was forced to face the woman who had birthed her and tormented her. Theirs was a horrible relationship. Mother a harsh, cold, selfish woman and daughter a meek, terrified, self conscious beauty. But Mal's was nearly twice as horrific as theirs. Mal was a girl far more self conscious than Evie. Mal feared not living up to her mother's expectations. She feared her mother's disappointment. Maleficent was not a good mother. She expected much of her poor daughter and lorded it over the girl's head. Since she had met Mal, Evie had given up on her self pity, noting that her life could have been much worse.

" _Ah, Queen," Maleficent smiled slowly and widely at the slightly shorter woman and the woman's daughter, "Is this your dear child?"_

" _Yes," Evie looked up at her mother to see the same smile spreading across her weathered face, "This is Evie. I assume this is Mal?"_

" _Yes," The little girl with short purple hair spoke up for herself instead of allowing her mother to speak, "My name is Mal."_

 _The little girl stared intently at her, scrutinizing every detail. Eventually she cocked her head to the side and glanced at Maleficent._

" _Mother," Mal's facial expression was intensely intimidating, "What's wrong with her?"_

" _Oh, Mal," Somehow Maleficent's smile grew even wider, "What makes you ask such a terribly disrespectful question?"_

" _Her face is so covered in," Mal paused to pinch Evie's cheek then stared inquisitively at her fingers, "A strange powder. It makes her look dreadfully pale."_

" _That, my malevolent child, is called makeup," Maleficent replied carelessly, "And it appears the naive child attempted to put it on herself. I do hope you never try to pull off something so… trivial."_

" _Of course, Mother," Mal grinned back at her mother_

" _Good," Maleficent nodded, satisfied with the insults they had thrown at Evie, "I do hope you never fail me; it would be the death of both of us."_

" _Yes, Mother," Mal schooled her face into an indifferent expression_

" _Now, come along, cruel one, we have things to do," Maleficent swept away, Mal trailing behind her gracefully_

They had hated each other then, with a fierce passion. Both of them competed for their own mother's attention and Maleficent's as well. Both girls had their own talents and uses. Both were intense in their own ways. Hence the insane competition between the two of them, but when they had become friends, no one stood a chance. Paired together, the two young women were unstoppable.

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Eventually, Mal's goodness began to crumble, piece by happy piece. Her resolve began to waver; her fight began to deteriorate. She would never truly fall apart, her spirit was too strong. Her heart could only be manipulated, but not destroyed. The woman with the willowy figure and flaming heart and hair pushed her to her limit. She tore at her, ripping her remaining innocence from her. Mal became even more ruthless, even more callous, even more cruel. The place she had gotten in Auradon was gone. The old Mal had gone into hiding from her new self.


	5. Author's Note: Sorry!

Hey guys,

I am so so sorry but I will not be able to upload a chapter this week. Hopefully, I'll be able to do at least one next week, maybe two. I say that because I will be gone for spring break and I don't think my parents will let me sit at the computer to work on a story while we are on vacation.

So sorry again,

Mrs. Seamus Finnigan


	6. The Calm Before The Storm

**Hey! I did it! I got the chapter done in time! And it's longer than the others! GO TEAM! Sorry, I'm happy. ;-)**

 **Disclaimer: Guess what! I still definitely do not claim to have the rights to the story owned by Disney: Disney's Descendants.**

Evie paced back and forth across her bedroom. Luckily for her, befriending Mal had given her more common sense and planning abilities. Like now for instance, she was breaking out. She had gathered supplies for the journey ahead of her. As soon as her mother tried to open the door, she would slam it into her and run for it. Three. Two. One! The Evil Queen turned the knob… The door slowly opened. Slam! A moan came from the floor. Evie opened the door to run then stopped and gaped at Carlos and Jay. She looked down to see Doug splayed out on the floor.

"Come on, man," Jay rolled his eyes at Doug, offering him a hand up, "It can't have been that bad."

"Shut up," Doug kept his eyes closed and took Jay's outstretched hand, "She's stronger than you think."

"What are you doing here?" Evie whispered, "My mom might come up here at any moment!"

"Relax, E," Jay held up a hand

"Only Mal can call me E,"

"Anyways," Carlos interrupted, "Since Jay is the captain of the guard, he was skilled enough to knock your mother out cold. We put on the street so she thinks she fainted while walking home in the heat."

"Are we going to get Mal?" Evie asked

"We tried," Jay shook his head, "She wasn't there."

"What do you mean?" Evie stared at him, "You idiots, her mother is still stuck as a lizard in a cage in Auradon."

"Oh, yeah," Jay grinned awkwardly, "Where do you think she'll be?"

"I'm not sure," Evie admitted, "Your place?" She looked over at Carlos

"My mother isn't bright enough to come up with this on her own," Carlos shook his head, "Without Maleficent, she couldn't do more than attempt to kidnap more dalmations."

"Then who would have her?"

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"Are you ready, loathsome creature?" The woman with the red hair asked Mal, her long red skirts gathered behind her as she knelt in front of Mal

"Yes, Your Highness," Mal smiled cruelly at the woman, her mother would've been scared

"Good, devious child," The woman stood, "Go. I have guests to…" Her grin became suggestive, "Entertain."

The woman with the red hair swept out of the room gracefully, capturing attention for long after she had left. Once Mal's concentration returned to her, she caught a scream and a long, loud moan. She did not waver or shiver at the implication of the noises. Mal simply walked to the door and left.

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"I have an idea," Evie said, "Isn't it possible that Hades took her? I mean, he's clever enough to realize she's the only real evil, of all of us children, this place has ever seen. He's unlucky enough to be trapped here and smart enough to find other minions besides Pain and Panic."

"True," Carlos nodded, "Those two were terrible babysitters," He winced, "Hades is capable of taking her."

"I agree," Jay's eyes widened, "Please tell me I don't have to go back to that place. He still blames me for his missing Jar of Sorrow."

"Would you like to abandon Mal?" Evie raised an eyebrow at him

"You're hot when you're being manipulative," Doug stared at her with pink cheeks, "I cannot believe I just said that. I cannot believe that just came out of my mouth."

"Pull it together," Evie said and kissed him, "You're going to need your full mental capacity."

"Then why'd you kiss me?" Doug taunted

"Because you're hot when you're flustered," Evie winked

"Well then," Carlos spoke up, "Could we get back to the task at hand? Doug, focus!"

Jay smacked the back of Doug's head.

"Which way do we go, then?" Doug coughed, rubbing the back of his head

"This way," Evie said, starting off

"You know, you're hot when-"

"Doug, if you do not shut up," Jay growled, "Evie won't be able to hear me kill you."

Doug paled.

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Mal would have time on the walk through the woods, near where Hades lived, to return to acting like "herself". That was what they would expect. They would expect her to be strong but scared. She could pull this off. They were all a bunch of idiots. Most anything she would do would be taken as normal or a side-effect of being kidnapped and taken to her childhood home, a place of torment for the old Mal. Even that tasty moron of a boyfriend wouldn't be able to notice the difference in her.

So Mal walked on. Her heart wasn't racing. Her head wasn't pounding. The only way you could tell something was wrong was the slow smile spreading across her face like syrup. And every step closer forced her to hide the smile or get it out of her system. _This was going to be wonderful,_ she thought as she walked, _The revenge for changing me into something 'good', it's going to be wonderful; to shove everything back in their happy faces was going to feel so great._

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The four of them walked on in silence. The whole thing was eerie. Evie had been kidnapped by her own mother, yet almost anyone could've taken Mal. She was a valuable player in the competition. Mal was malleable; you could twist her into something you thought she wasn't until she suddenly was. And she was so desperate for recognition. If you gave her praise, her whole face lit up and you could be sure she'd do the same thing again. She was by no means a people pleaser. She could hate and loathe people openly, freely and cruelly. She just had lacked approval in her childhood far more than any other child.

Evie knew this better than anyone. She had seen Mal isolate many a person who tried to outdo her or be cruel to her. They always regretted it. The only ones who had survived being terrible to her were the people in Auradon. They were lucky she had changed before she could take her revenge on them for abandoning her to the Isle and her mother. Had they not eventually accepted her, they would have been at her feet by then, begging and sobbing for death. Mal could be terrible and wonderful at the same time. It was terrifying the first time she saw Mal protect someone.

" _He did what?!" Mal tensed at the words coming out of Evie's mouth_

" _He said I was only using Doug," Evie winced, a tear escaping her lids, "He said that as soon as I came to my senses I would go after someone more important than him. He said that when I did, he'd be ready."_

" _Chad!" Mal roared_

 _Evie followed horrified as her friend raced out into the courtyard where Chad was talking to Audrey. Chad looked up and sprinted as fast as he could. But Mal caught up to him; she grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him into the air, rage tangible in the air around her like a halo. The poor bully was heaving for breath, fearing for his life._

" _Did you threaten Evie?" Mal asked, suddenly calm as she set Chad down_

" _What are you talking about?" Chad watched her reach out a hand_

" _I asked if you threatened my friend," Mal readjusted his shirt, squeezing his shoulder, "Mm."_

" _What are you doing?" Chad's breath quickened and he gulped, "What about Ben?"_

" _Don't talk to me about my boyfriend," Mal rolled her eyes and got closer to him, "Talk to me about my friend. If you tell the truth, you could be_ rewarded _. I could pay you back."_

" _Really?" Chad's eyes widened as she wove a hand into his hair_

" _Ye-"_

" _Mal!" Ben came racing towards them_

" _Ben!" Mal glared over at him as he ripped her hand out of Chad's hair_

" _Stop it," Ben huffed, tucking her hand in his_

" _But he was about to tell me the truth," Mal growled, "I was going to make him pay for his threats."_

" _That's not how to solve a problem," Ben took a deep breath, "You can't kill everyone who goes against you."_

" _You thought I was going to kill him," Mal pouted, then smiled, "You thought I_ could _kill him!"_

" _I did not say that, Mal,"_

" _But you meant it,"_

The memory faded into the recesses of Evie's mind. The mere fact that this was after Mal had become good and while Ben had been there beyond unnerved Evie. She had everything in her to kill someone. She had it in her to utterly destroy anyone she wanted. Especially at Auradon, since she knew so much about everyone there. But she wouldn't hurt anyone in Auradon, she cared, deeply, for the great and vast majority of the people she had met after leaving the Isle.

Now, Mal wouldn't, maliciously, hurt a fly.


	7. Returning Home

**Hey, guys! I was lucky enough to finish this chapter in time to post it before I leave tomorrow. I figured you guys might need a bit of a treat. Thanks for the well wishes!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Descendants; that would be breaking the law ;-)**

 **P.S. There's a Once Upon A Time character reference in this chapter. Enjoy!**

 **And with love it begins:**

The woman with the red hair was overjoyed with how her plans were going. Beast had trapped her in this bland, cold world and he was going to pay for it. He had kept her from returning home. For that, he would suffer at the hands that would hurt the most, his son, or at least his future daughter-in-law. Of course the girl would be his future daughter-in-law, the king was infatuated with her. Eventually the boy would ask her to be his queen, it was obvious.

That imbecile had trapped her in this hideous, moronic place with no slaves to do her bidding. Certainly, had her soldiers been there, her revenge would have been so much easier and quicker coming. They were not there, however; they would not be able to come to her aid. She only hoped, for their sakes, they had maintained obedience to her. If they hadn't, well, they must know what they would face when she returned, those blasted idiots.

The woman with the red hair returned to the task at hand. She had tortured information about manipulation spells from the ragamuffin with the crackling skin and the exorbitant name. Miraculously, she hadn't needed to use such wasteful things on the dear. The girl had been scared at first, but once the woman had returned the girl to her childhood, she had behaved quite nicely. It was going to be perfect. Once she returned to Auradon, the girl would pick up the pace in her relationship with the king, out of "fear". They would get married, have children, whatever it took to get Beast to trust the girl. Then, when everything was ready, the woman would step in. Everything would fall for the buffoon. He'd be utterly destroyed, right before returning her to her proper home. It was going to be perfect.

Interesting, the screams from her dungeon had ceased. Cursed silence was blissful. Ah, but she ought to check on her latest victim, make sure he wasn't in too much pain. She wanted him to feel it, not pass out.

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Evie was sure she had heard something rustle further in the forest. She paused, squinting in that direction and holding up a hand. The boys stopped behind her, lost as to what was going on. Her hearing was concentrated as she closed her eyes and focus only on the noise. It sounded like someone was running. She could hear the twigs breaking and their labored breathing. They sounded terrified. Her eyes opened wide.

"Is that?"

"I think so," Evie nodded

"How do we-" Carlos began

"Hey, Mal!" Doug shouted, "Mal! Omph!"

Doug fell back onto the ground. Mal had hit him with a defensive spell, unaware that it had been him.

"Relax, Mal," Evie held up her hands and Jay and Carlos did the same, "It's just us. We've come to take you home."

The rustling stopped, but Mal did not come out.

"When you met me," Evie sighed, "You insulted me to my face to make your mother be proud of you."

"Are you sure it's really them with you?" Mal's voice echoed out among the trees

"When we were young, I had a massive crush on you," Carlos winced

"When we were young, you had a crush on me," Jay smirked

"I did not!" Mal objected in a whisper, punching him, "And shush, she might have followed me."

"She?" Carlos stared at her, "Do you know who took you?"

"No," Mal answered honestly, "I just remember a woman with red hair."

She shuddered.

"Can we get out of here now?" Jay huffed, "I need to check on Paul. I have no idea how well he's going to do with the new post."

"We just found Mal," Evie glared at him, "Could you show some sympathy?"

"Not really, no," Jay shook his head, straight-faced

"Fine," Evie sighed, "Let's go."

"Come on, buddy," Jay pushed Carlos forward, "Lead the way."

"Lead the way?" Carlos stared at him skeptically, "Why?"

"No reason,"

"Jay," Evie warned

"Fine!"

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Ben was pacing back and forth all over his study again. Jasper sat in the chair facing Ben's desk, a smirk of amusement on his face. Paul stood at attention in the doorway, trying desperately not to slap the look of mirth off the Advisor's face. As he was pacing, Ben ran into a bookshelf. Paul immediately started over, but Ben held up a hand.

"It's fine, Paul," Ben righted himself and the bookshelf, "I'm fine. Mostly."

"Should I call the doctor?" Paul froze

"No, no, no," Ben shook his head violently, "I meant emotionally. Emotionally, I'm mostly okay. Otherwise, I'm perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?" Paul asked, his hand going to his sheath

"Paul," Jasper laughed, "You can't solve everything with a move Jay taught you. Fighting with swords doesn't save you when you walk directly into a bookcase."

Dina walked in at that moment.

"Dina," Paul bowed low

"Don't bow to me, Paul," She laughed loudly, "We're friends. I thought."

"Of course," Paul smiled

"Your Majesty," Dina curtsied, "The Advisor, the Captain of the Guard, the Keeper of the Kennels, Evie and Mal have returned. They are all safe, waiting in the throne room."

Ben dashed out of the room, all of his worries back to him at full force. Paul hurried after him, while Jasper followed at a more leisurely pace. Dina did not hurry, however, she was more rapid in her pace than her brother.

"Ben," Mal breathed, then fell to the ground, crying

"Mal," Ben's voice was choked

He ran to her side and reached out, allowing her a chance to shove him away after the horror of her kidnapping. But she grabbed him and held on tightly, with all of her strength. Ben closed his eyes, holding her as tightly as she was holding him. He paused to think.  
"Mal," He leaned back, "Mal look at me."  
She allowed him to lift her chin.

"Mal," Ben kissed her briefly before speaking again, "Will you marry me? I was so scared that I had lost you. The kingdom has been dark and cold without you; I couldn't handle it. Without Paul and Jasper pushing me, I don't think I could've stayed king with you stolen from me. I can't live without you, Mal. It's like trying to breathe without lungs, trying to live without a heartbeat. Would you marry me, please?"

"Are you sure?" Mal had tears still sliding down her cheeks, "I love you, Ben, with all of my heart. If you aren't sure, I couldn't possibly marry you."

"I love you, Mal," Ben's voice was a loving whisper, "I couldn't love anyone more."  
"Then yes," Mal nodded, her eyes sparkling, "I will marry you."

"Tragedy does crazy things to a person, doesn't it, Carlos?" Jay laughed heartily

"Jay!" Ben rose up from the floor, remembering the other people in the room, "Carlos! Evie! Doug! You're all safe! Beautiful!"

"I know I am, Ben," Jay joked, "You don't have to remind me."

"Shut up and come here," Ben chuckled

"I won't marry you too, Ben," Jay teased, "You already have a fiance. Where's Lonnie?"

"She's back with her parents, becoming a general," Ben said, hugging Carlos, "Everyone is so proud of her."

"What about Audrey?" Jay bit his lip, bracing for the worst

"She's home with her parents too, why?" Ben looked at him over Doug's shoulder

"No reason," Jay replied hurriedly

"Mm hm," Evie hugged Ben quickly before going back to Doug's side, "No reason at all there."

"Shut-" Jay stopped, glancing at Doug's face, "SO there's a wedding to plan!"

"Yes!" Evie clapped her hands, "Mal, would you mind terribly much if I designed your dress? And you too, Ben! I'd loved to design your suit. I'll include your coat of arm, the royal crest, everything. Please!"

"Of course, Evie," Mal smiled weakly, leaning on Ben's arm to stand up, "Whatever you want, I'm just glad we're home."

"Home?" Ben looked over at her

"Home." Mal's smile brightened at his happiness

"Good."

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Once Mal was able to go back to her room unsupervised, which was easy enough if she said the right things, she laughed to herself at how foolish everyone there was. Ben believed her syrup-in-water sickly sweet words. Jay fell for the punch. Evie believed she cared. Doug thought they were friends. Doomed morons. They'd get what was coming to them.

Now, she had a wedding to plan for. Things had moved much, much faster than they had initially thought they would. It was perfect, but Mal would have to prepare herself faster than intended. But no matter, she was a quick study. Walking over to the vanity waiting for her, Mal leaned through the mirror and came out into the woman with the red hair's castle. Oh, was she excited to get started with their revenge. Oh, was she indeed.


	8. Author's Note: Heeeeey, Guys

Sooooooo. I feel terrible about this guys, but I'm going to have to put this story on hiatus. I'm suffering from a lack of inspiration and a busy schedule. But if you guys happened to have a suggestion with where I should go next with the story, feel free to message me!


	9. Author's Note

Hey, guys. It sure has been awhile. Well, here's an update on my progress for you. I have a chapter to post, but I'm going to double-check that it is where I want it before I do. I have to get to class soon, but fingers crossed!

Thanks,

Mrs. Seamus Finnigan


	10. Scheming

**Hey, guys! I'm back. So, technically, winter break is over for me, but some of my friends are still on break; so for the sake of my word, this counts. Well, here you go. Side Notes: I don't own Disney's Descendants and Paul is supposed to be Rapunzel's son. I noticed I still hadn't clarified that. So yeah, enjoy! 3 3 3 3**

One evening, Mal had finally concluded that she could trust Evie with her plans. She told her shortly before dinner to meet her in her rooms afterward. She sat next to Ben patiently while he held her hand tightly underneath the table, still terrified she was going to disappear on him. The whole group of them; Jay, Evie, Ben, Mal, Doug, Paul, Carlos, Jasper, Dina and Jane, made small talk as they ate the multi-course meal that sat on the table in front of them. Mal caught Evie giving her strange looks throughout the meal. Jay seemed so entranced by his plate, hardly ever looking up from it. Mal's arm twitched as if with an urge to nudge Ben to talk to Jay, but she stopped herself with a small, thoughtful frown. In the end, the two of them went to talk elsewhere anyway and Mal didn't understand the conflicting feelings fighting inside her. One part of her felt a miniscule twinge of happiness while another main part felt an overwhelming exasperation yet satisfaction that he was occupied.

"What did you want to talk about, Mal?" Evie stepped into the room cautiously

"Close the door, please," Mal tried hard not to twitch at the polite word coming out of her mouth

"Alright…" Evie watched her skeptically

"I wanted to talk to you about my plans," Mal smiled at her cryptically

"For the wedding?" Evie's face brightened, "Because I would be overjoyed to help you pick out colors and design bridesmaid's dresses and-"

"No," Mal sighed, this might not be as easy as she thought it would, "For Auradon."

"Decrees and whatnot, you mean?" Evie's brow furrowed, "I'm not sure I'd be much help. You should talk to Ben about that sort of stuff."

"I don't think Ben would want to hear what I have planned," Mal snickered, "He might be hurt. He'll be hurt anyways but I'd like to keep the plan in motion."

"What are you talking about, Mal?" Evie shivered slightly, "You're kinda scaring me."

"Oh come on, Evie," Mal rolled her eyes, getting thoroughly irritated, "I'd assumed you had more common sense than this. It really isn't that hard to put two and two together. I'm going to take my revenge on Auradon and the Queen of Hearts is going to help me."

"The Queen of Hearts?"

"She was the one who took me. You thought I'd been kidnapped and so had I at first but she reminded me of who I really was, who I was really supposed to be. She reminded me that we are what fate wants us to be. Fate wants me to take revenge on those who hurt me and judged me and underestimated me. Fate wants the Queen of Hearts to take her revenge on Beast and return to Wonderland. Fate expects you to help me. Do you have it in you to see the future you're supposed to have, a powerful, beautiful, coveted woman in charge of Auradon by my side, a princess?"

"I don't know about this, Mal," Evie stepped back toward the door, "Ben loves you. Do you really have it in you to hurt him like this?"

"I promise he won't feel a thing," Mal laughed softly, "Until after the wedding. I can poison him quietly if you really feel it's necessary."

"I can't help you, Mal," Evie shook her head sadly, tearing glistening like diamonds of pure intentions on her cheeks, "I really hope you don't do anything you regret."

"I will say the same to you, Evie," Mal sneered suddenly, "Don't do anything you'll regret."

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Later that night, Evie went to Doug so they could talk about what Mal had wanted. He knew something was up when she showed up crying softly. They looked into each other's loved filled eyes. He opened his arms as she ran to him. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed, shutting the door behind him with his foot. They sat together and as she cried he stroked her dark hair gently. Eventually, she stopped sniffling. Doug pulled back to look at her face.

"What happened?" He asked quietly

"She wanted to tell me about her plans," Her dark brown eyes began to brim over with tears again

"For the wedding?"

Evie merely shook her head after opening her mouth multiple times with no resulting sound. Doug soon grew concerned. What in Auradon could Evie not be able to say to him? Why wouldn't she be able to share what she had talked to Mal about with him? He didn't say anything though, focusing on shushing her gently and softly playing with her hair.

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Ben took Jay to the library after dinner, concerned about his friend. He'd noticed Jay staring at his plate through most of dinner and had wondered what was wrong. He never liked it when any of his friends was upset, let alone someone who'd shared so many happy memories with him that weren't because he was a prince. The entire time they walked to the library, Jay continued to look anywhere but at him. He remained silent until they stepped into the library, the doors closing loudly behind them.

"What's up, Ben?" Jay glanced at him for a moment

"You seemed to be upset," Ben looked him over, "I wanted to know why and to see if I could help in any way."

"You sound like how Mal used to talk," Jay noted faintly

"She talks like this now," Ben frowned and tilted his head similar to a confused dog

"Odd," Jay appeared to disappear into his thoughts for a moment

"What's wrong, Jay?" Ben changed subjects, "I may not have known you all my life, but I do know you well enough to know that something's off."

"It's nothing," Jay muttered

"Jay,"

"Fine," He huffed, "Imhvingrprblms."

"What?" Ben's eyebrows scrunched together

"I'm having girl problems," Jay admitted finally

"Really?" Ben's eyebrows skyrocketed, "

having girl problems?"

"Hey," Jay scoffed, mildly offended, "I can have girl problems too. The ladies may love Jay," He smirked as he said this, "But I can have struggles too. What if I want to settle down? Maybe I just can't decide who to choose."

"Who are you choosing from?" Ben asked lightly

"Uh…" Jay rubbed his neck, clearly more uncomfortable even than before, "Lonnie and uh… Audrey."

"Well," Ben whistled, "You sure don't have a type."

"What do you mean?" Jay frowned

"Lonnie's a fighter, physically. She's a general," Ben shifted,"Audrey prefers words over real weapons. She's more frilly than anything else."

"They both like to fight," Jay pointed out

"Yes, but the ways they fight are incredibly different," Ben studied his hands, "Have you thought about how you feel about both of them individually?"

"Well… no."

"How about you do that now?" Ben suggested

"Lonnie reminds me that I can do good with my violent nature by fighting off evil," Jay bit his lip, "But with her, I'm equal. I can't ever surpass her fighting skills. I can win a verbal argument with her, but nothing physical. Audrey makes me feel like a knight. She looks at me like I could save anyone, but when it comes to manners, she cringes because I know nothing about them."

"That's not what I asked," Ben shook his head and laughed exasperatedly, "How do you feel about them, not do they make you feel powerful."

"Oh, uh… just don't laugh. I'm not used to sharing my feelings and being so… poetic," Jay cringed, "Lonnie is like a rush. Everytime I'm with her, I feel like I could fight for hours on end. Audrey makes me feel like I'm noble. When I'm with her, I feel like I could make the right decisions for once in my life."

"Well," Mal's voice came into the library with her, "I'd say you have an easy choice then. Audrey's your girl."

"But what about Lonnie?" Jay sighed, "I don't want to hurt her."

"I hate to be harsh, but just because you care about someone doesn't mean they care about you the same way."

"Mal," Ben pinched the bridge of his nose

"It's Jay, Ben," Mal rolled her eyes slightly, "He's a big boy and I've known him longer than you have. I know how to handle his problems."

"It's alright, Ben," Jay looked at him, "Mal's right. Lonnie probably just thinks of me as a friend. And I care about her that way as well. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You should probably tell them both very soon," Mal advised, "This really isn't something you wait to do."

Ben watched the rest of the conversation, somewhat confused. Mal didn't seem to be the type to get involved in other people's love lives. It took a long time to get her to invest in her own, apparently. And even then, she hadn't wanted to talk about it with other people. She barely talked about it with him. Maybe the kidnapping had affected her more than she let on. She seemed to be highly invested in the moment lately. He was pretty sure the kidnapping had gotten to her, but he was going to be watching more carefully from now on.


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